Locking Horns
by Stixer111
Summary: They fight all the time. It's become their thing. Some couples read together or take walks, but Zoro and Sanji fight.


They fight all the time. It's become their thing. Some couples read together or take walks, but Zoro and Sanji fight. From an outsider's point of view, Sanji supposes their fights look deadly, but in reality, they're rarely ever serious, exhibition matches more than actual fights ("What did you call me, moss for brains?" "Oh are you going deaf now dartbrow?"). They're both strong in their own way, but Sanji isn't sure if they could handle the other at their strongest. So they hold back.

It's become such a common occurrence on the Sunny that the rest of the crew don't question it. They understand that this is just something they do, and that it doesn't mean they love each other any less.

They move together, quick and agile, blurring together until the onlookers can't tell if Zoro swords have blocked Sanji's steel toed shoes or if it's the other way around. Usopp and Luffy cheer for both of them indiscriminately, and Chopper watches them in awe, mentally trying to map out how to treat their inevitable injuries. Just because they hold back a little, doesn't mean no one gets hurt. Nami has started taking bets every time they fight on the deck, while Robin watches the whole thing with a small smile. Franky stays out of it for the most part, except to throw a couple of threats in their direction, for Sunny's benefit ("If I find even a scratch on her, there'll be hell to pay!"). Brook has composed theme music for these occasions, jaunty notes with dark undertones. They both do a terrible job pretending it doesn't amuse them.

Their entire crew may be witness to their sparring, but for the two of them, there's only each other. Zoro's eyes can focus only on the blue ones in front of him, burning with the thrill of fight as he swipes his sword towards him. Sanji grins as he raises a leg to block the katana coming at him from the right, and sweeps his other at Zoro's feet in an attempt to knock him down. He's blocked with a second sword and over balances, but is quickly on his feet again to face his smirking marimo. They keep at it, until Zoro is sent flying by a kick to the side, or Sanji finds himself pressed against a wall, sword at his throat. No matter who wins, it always ends with them panting heavily, face to face, noses nearly touching, lips just a hairs breadth apart, and if Sanji moves his head forward just a little bit…. And then Chopper is by their side, torn between excitement over the spectacular show of skill and professional concern over their various scrapes and bruises ("are you sure he didn't break your rib Zoro?") and the moment is over.

There's applause and cheering from the captain and sniper, while Nami collects her winnings. Brook ends his song with a flourish, and Franky gives Sunny a quick once over. They've damaged her a little, but it's nothing he can't fix, nothing he's not used to. Chopper, with Robin's help, herds his reluctant patients to the infirmary to patch them up. They bicker good-naturedly all the way there ("Oh, I'm sorry marimo, did that _hurt_?" "Can you repeat that? I can't hear you over the sound of me _kicking your ass_!").

Chopper always treats them quickly, and sends them off to rest with a stern, weirdly intimidating, glare and a warning not to do anything too strenuous for a while. It's when they head below deck that they have fights of an entirely different sort.

Hands slip under shirts, running lightly over toned chests and sculpted abs. Sanji finds himself being pushed onto the bed, and pulls Zoro down with him, dry lips pressing behind his ear in retaliation. He envelopes the swordsman's lobe in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the three golden earrings that dangled there. Zoro moans into the crook of Sanji's neck, sending shivers down the cook's spine. Sanji gasps and moans as Zoro sucks at the base of his neck, hard enough to mark him where it would be hidden by his shirt collar. He fumbles with the swordsman's buttons, desperate to just get rid of his shirt, and Zoro chuckles, deep and low, and Sanji feels it reverberate through his chest, where their bodies are pressed flush against each other ("Eager, aren't you?" "Shut up!"). The cook grins triumphantly as the shirt comes off, and smashes his lips into Zoro's as his fingers lightly trace the scars on the swordsman's chest, their tongues battling for dominance. They're pressed so close to each other that they can't tell where one of them starts and the other ends. In that moment, they aren't two people, they're a single creature of tangled limbs and desperate moans. It's difficult, even for them, to decide who wins these kinds of fights, although they both suspect that in this scenario, it doesn't really matter anyway. Not when they can feel each other's heart beat thumping franticly against their own skin.

They fight all the time. It's become their thing. Sometimes, they clash in public, sword against shoe, with the whole crew baring witness. But other times, the more important times, it's lips against collar bone and calloused fingers pressing into pale flesh. There was no win or lose here, and they didn't care.

**A/N- This is like the third consecutive Zosan fic I've posted and I don't caaarrreeee. Seriously though, this pairing seems to have taken over my brain. Expect a Welcome to Starbucks story starring them soon. Anyway, I decided to try something new with tenses and dialogue insertion. Let me know what you think!**


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